If you are into internet telephony or if you are on the lookout for a good internet based protocol for video chatting, then you have reasons to understand something more about H.323. It is one among the many such protocols that are used for video chatting, either between individuals or between groups. There are many such software solutions including some popular ones like ezTalks Meetings. We will, over the next few lines, try and find out what is H.323 and whether it would add value to those who are into regular video conferencing and other such forms of communication. Understanding basic features and functions will help us to find the right answer to the question as to what is H.323 internet telephony.

What Is H.323?

Put in plain and simple words, H.323 is a suitable and recommended protocol which is helpful to provide the best of audio visual communication sessions. The good thing about this protocol is that it works quite well practically on any packet network. It is perhaps the ideal solution for the best of calls signaling and control. It also could be a good solution for all those who are looking for the right multimedia control and transport. It could also be a good option for the best of bandwidth control and could be a good solution for point to point conferencing and also for multipoint conferencing. It would not be a bad idea to look for various sources of information including Wikipedia H.323 and other pages. This will help the readers to define H.323 from the right perspective and find out the value additions which it might offer.

What Makes H.323 Different?

As mentioned above, there are dozens of video conferencing tools, such as ezTalks Meeting, available in the market today. Therefore when we look at H323 we need to be reasonably sure that it offers something special or at least matches the various features that are available with all leading such software solutions in the market today. Hence let us look at H.323 definition perhaps from a closer angle. This will help us understand if there are any special features and special take aways as far as this software is concerned.

Why Is It So Popular?

There are many reasons which could perhaps explain the popularity of H.323. It is now being widely implemented by many video conferencing equipment manufacturers. It also is used by many other users and manufacturers who are keen on offering the best of audio conferencing to the various stakeholders. Many internet real time applications are also known to use this protocol quite extensively. The list is quite big and it could include names such as Net Meeting and GNU GK.

It belongs to the ITU-T H.32x series of protocols. Hence this is considered to be the right choice for multimedia communications over 3G Mobile Networks, SS7, and PSTN and even over ISDN. It is often referred to as one of the best gatekeeper or even other call control elements that could help in providing the right service to videophones and telephones. Apart from audio and video conferencing it could be useful for parking, pickup, call transfer, hold and various other facilities. Hence when all the above factors are taken into account, it will be possible for us to give the right answer to all those who are seeking the right answer to the question what is H.323 gateway.

It Has a Proven Track History

It would not be out of place to mention here that it has a proven track history and that is what makes it quite different from many other such protocols available in the market today. It was first put in the market in 1996 and since then it has had a rich and proven track record. The past few decades and years, have seen quite a bit of revisions and upgrades and therefore today it has become quite popular when it comes to offering seamless video conferencing and audio conferencing options.

Usable in Various Gateways

If you wish to understand more about the meaning of the question as to what is the significance of the H.323 standard then you need to that it has the capability of being used in a number of gateways. Gateways enable communication between the various H.323 networks and also other networks and these could include PSDN networks too. Since this is a binary protocol it is known to be quite efficient when it comes to message processing and various network elements. It uses the best of PER or Packed Encoding Rules and therefore can work well for a number of functions. These include call proceeding, setup and setup acknowledging, connecting, information passing, alerting, progress, facility and much more.

Conclusion

In view of the facts mentioned above, there are reasons to believe that H.323 could be a wonderful solution for all those who need the best of video conferencing and audio conferencing. It is therefore not very surprising that it is used quite regularly by a number of customers, both big and small.